Chapter Thirty-Six

Emiko was silently preparing tea in the kitchen. She poured the tea into two porcelain cups before mixing in the sugar; two lumps for her, one and a half for her guest. She placed the cups on a silver tray next to a plate of lemon squares fresh from the bakers. She picked up the tray and made her way into the living room. Emiko didn't say anything as she placed the tray on top of the coffee table, picked up her own cup and sat down in the armchair opposite her husband.

"Thankyou" said Akihiko, reaching for his own cup, "you know Rachel doesn't drink tea? She's more of a coffee person."

"Really?" stiffened Emiko, "how is…Rachel?"

"She's fine. A little stressed out with work but who isn't? Thanks for asking."

Emiko smiled before resuming her tea. She actually couldn't give two hoots about the woman her husband was leaving her for, but she thought it'd be polite to ask.

"How are you?" asked Akihiko.

"I'm fine" Emiko replied.

"Really?"

A smile graced her husband's lips, the same manipulative smile she had been married to for over twenty years. There was no warmth behind that smile; only judgment. Emiko would've liked nothing more than to reach across the table and wipe it from his smug condescending face.

"What do you want me to say?" she inquired.

"The truth?"

"You want the truth?" Emiko gripped her cup tight, the urge to launch it across the table becoming more inviting, "well, you see the truth is that my twenty year marriage is coming to a boring and bitter end so my husband can move to America to be with some blonde half his age. The truth is that our daughter washes people's hair for a living even though she could work in any law firm she wanted. And let's not forget about the potential son-in-law who desecrates people's skin for money. Oh and what about our son? Our seventeen year old son with a baby on the way who now has absolutely no chance of getting that basketball scholarship he's always dreamed of?" Emiko paused before continuing, "the truth is, I have become the constant subject of gossip and ridicule. I spend every day pretending not to notice or care as my friends talk about me behind my back, each one of them waiting for something else to happen so they can laugh about it. So tell me, Akihiko…how do you think I'm feeling?"

The blue haired man didn't say anything, only smiled. The room was filled with a heavy silence as Emiko took a deliberate sip of her tea, not looking her husband in the eye.

"Is Daiki still staying with Haruko?" asked Akihiko, blatantly choosing to ignore everything his wife had just said.

Emiko nodded.

"And am I right in thinking that neither of them know I'm here?"

"Of course not. If you hadn't noticed, I'm not exactly on speaking terms with our children right now. Besides, you asked me not to tell them."

"Good" Akihiko smiled. He put down his cup and stood up. "I'll be staying at the Sheridan for a few days. I'll get back in touch before I leave so we can go through the rest of the papers." After placing a gold metallic card on the table with the hotel's logo on the front, he walked over to his wife and placed a kiss on her cheek. "It was nice seeing you again Emiko." And with that he walked out of the living room and left.

Emiko put her cup down on the table in front of her. She could still feel the kiss lingering on her cheek. She had been married to that man for over two decades and for the first time since they'd said 'I do', she wanted nothing more than to tie him down and make him experience the same pain and humiliation he had put her through their entire marriage. The same pain and humiliation he continued to put her through even though their marriage was coming to an end.

She slumped back into her chair. After a couple of seconds of staring into thin air, she reached forward and took one of the lemon squares from off the plate. She examined the yellow cake for a moment before shrugging her shoulders and stuffing the entire bar into her mouth.

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"What the hell is this?!" exclaimed Rosie, putting down the tray she was holding and picking up the issue of TeenBasket instead. " 'Not only did he get his former teammate and fellow Miracle, Kise Ryouta, pregnant with his child, but seventeen year old Aomine Daiki spends most nights stumbling out of gay clubs and gay bars or hanging around some of Tokyo's most seediest back alleys with guys he just met. If he continues this off-the-wall lifestyle, his reputation as Touou's 'bad-boy' will eventually precede him and people will come to know him only as Aomine the Trashed instead of Aomine the Basketball Star.' Who wrote this crap?!"

"That would be some low rent journalist who can't write anything unless it comes out his ass" replied Aomine. He was sat in the booth with one arm around Kise's shoulders. Kuroko and Kagami were sitting opposite.

"And you're ok with this?!" demanded Rosie.

Aomine shrugged, "it's just words. I don't mind them taking shots at me, as long as they're aimed at me and no one else."

Kise gave a small smile and gently squeezed the hand resting on his shoulder. The article didn't mention him or the baby specifically (only that he was pregnant with Aomine's child), but it did have a few things to say about Aomine and his lifestyle choices no matter how false or exaggerated they were. But everyone knew that if anything was ever said about Kise or their unborn baby, Aomine wouldn't be letting it slide so easily.

However, Rosie seemed to have other ideas and was rather annoyed by Aomine's apparent disinterest, "well I think it's disgraceful!" she proclaimed, "I mean jesus, who hasn't had a quickie behind the pub before?! They're journalists, they have no business interfering in somebody's private life! They're a goddamn basketball magazine, not some trashy gossip mag, they should be focusing on what's important! I'm telling you, if I ever got my hands on one of these cocksuckers I'd wring their fucking necks!"

A light chuckle broke out around the table, "thanks Rose" said Aomine, "I'll be sure to send them your way next time I'm interviewed by one."

"Damn straight you will! Besides, you might be ok with it but what about Buttercup and baby here?"

"I'm fine Rose" reassured Kise, "we knew this was coming. It's no different than anything else we've had to put up with. The trick is to not let it get to you. If you do then, they win."

"He's right," continued Aomine, "it's no different than what any of us have been through our entire lives just because of who we are, what we do and who we fuck. If we let it get to us all the time, then you'd have yourself some seriously jaded people on your hands."

Rosie stared at the four boys sat around the table in front of her. They were only seventeen and had been through a whole lot more than anyone their age deserved.

"Are you ok Rose?" asked Kuroko, wondering why she had suddenly gone quiet.

"Oh I'm fine. I'm just so proud of you all" she said softly, her previous frustration disappearing, "ok, who wants a chocolate sundae? On me!" And without waiting for their response, Rosie picked up her tray and walked back towards the counter, wiping away her tears as she went.

Whilst they were standing outside the diner, Aomine's phone started to vibrate. With one hand laced together with Kise's, he used his other to take out his phone and check the text he had just received.

"Is everything ok?" asked the blonde, noticing his boyfriend's puzzled expression.

"Yeah," said Aomine, rolling his eyes, "it's Haruko. She thinks she's left the oven on and wants me to go back and check. Is it ok if we swing by the flat?"

"Yeah of course," replied Kise, checking his watch, "we have plenty of time."

"Ok" Aomine smiled. He placed a quick kiss on Kise's lips, before wrapping his arm around his waist and leading them towards his sister's apartment.

The pair stood outside the front door, staring quizzically at the yellow post-it note stuck on the front. On the note, written in black felt tip were the words 'I'm sorry!'

"Ok…" said Aomine, "that's unsettling…" He removed the note from the door and put the key into the lock. The bluenette had barely taken two steps inside the apartment before he stopped dead in his tracks, causing Kise to almost bump into him.

"Aominecchi? What…?" Kise's eyes went wide at the sight of the older man with tanned skin and dark blue hair stood in the middle of the room, a small smile played on his lips.

"Well this certainly explains a lot" said Aomine, his voice dry.

"Hello Daiki, Kise-kun" greeted Aomine's father.

"Hello Aomine-san," bowed Kise, "it's been a while."

"Yes it has." Akihiko's eyes flickered to Kise's stomach before returning his gaze, "I hope all is well."

Kise placed one hand on The Bump, "it is, thankyou."

"What are you doing here?" asked Aomine, moving in front of Kise, shielding him from any further questioning.

"I came to see how you were doing."

"How I was doing?" Aomine scoffed, "that's funny dad. You should be a comedian."

Kise didn't know what to do. He stood nervously behind his boyfriend, looking from one to the other. Aomine shook his head. "I don't have time for this" he said before turning around, "come on Kise." He took Kise by the hand and led him out of the apartment.

"Wait, Aominecchi!" protested the blonde once they were in the hallway. He shook off Aomine's grip and said, "what are you doing?"

"What do you mean?" asked the bluenette, eager to get away from there as soon as possible.

"Your dad's in there. He came all this way to see you, you can't just leave. You should talk to him."

"Kise…there is absolutely nothing for us to talk about. Trust me."

A sad yet stubborn look appeared in the blonde's eyes, "no Aominecchi. You can't keep doing this." He reached for his boyfriend's hand and placed it on top of his curving stomach, "we're a family now. And I would like our baby to know all of their grandparents. We need to start putting all of this behind us."

Aomine didn't say anything. Kise had always been stubborn but his mind was easily swayed if it wasn't entirely set on something. However, once that mind had been set, it was very hard to convince it otherwise.

"Ok" Aomine said softly, "I'll talk to him."

Kise smiled and placed a gentle kiss on Aomine's lips. "Thankyou" he whispered, their lips an inch apart.

"But what about the film?"

Kise shrugged, "it's ok. We can watch it some other time. Just, call me when you're done."

"Ok. Be careful."

"I will." Kise reached up and gave his boyfriend another quick kiss before turning around and heading down the hall.

Once outside, Kise put a hand on his stomach and closed his eyes. He breathed in the fresh winter air, relieved to be out of the apartment. Out of both his parents, Aomine's dad was the one Kise had trouble dealing with the most. He couldn't help but feel intimidated whenever he was around. Aomine-san always appeared calm and collected on the surface as if nothing ever bothered him. Kise had no idea what the man was thinking and that made him nervous. Unlike his mum, Aomine's dad was shrouded in mystery; his eyes never giving anything away with a small smile always present on his lips.

It was the first time Kise had seen Aomine-san since finding out he was pregnant and the older man hadn't seemed the least bit angry or disappointed. In fact, besides asking how Kise was doing, he hadn't really expressed any kind of emotion at all. Kise sighed. Maybe, Aomine-san was like his son; kept things bottled up until they could be bottled no more. If that was the case, then he certainly didn't want to be around when the bottle got too full.

Kise could feel himself becoming more anxious the more he let his mind spin out of control. He was clearly over-thinking things. Aomine and his dad would sort it out between themselves. And whatever happened, Kise was sure it would work out for the best. So, with that in mind, the blonde took out his phone and dialled Kuroko's number whilst making his way back into town.

The apartment was weighed down by a heavy silence. Father and son stood facing each other, one in the doorway the other near the couch, neither saying a word.

"Does Haruko know you're here?" asked Aomine, already knowing the answer but not knowing what else to say.

Akihiko nodded.

"You told her to text me didn't you?"

"Would you have come if you'd known I was here?"

They both knew the answer to that one.

"Where's Kise-kun?"

Aomine replied, "he seemed to think that we had some catching up to do and since he's the better person…maybe he's right."

More silence followed. Akihiko then moved to sit in one of the armchairs and gestured towards the couch for Aomine to do the same.

"I'd rather stand thanks" responded the bluenette, wanting to be as close to the exit as possible. He'd agreed to talk but he didn't intend to stay any longer than necessary.

"I insist" his dad replied, his tone leaving no room open for argument.

Even though his head was telling him no, Aomine moved begrudgingly towards the couch and sat down. The bluenette looked around the apartment and spotted his usual make-shift bed (consisting of a duvet and several pillows), folded up in the corner, on top of which Jet was happily snoozing away, completely oblivious to the world around her.

"So," said Akihiko, his hands resting on his lap, "I'm sure you have questions."

Aomine couldn't help but laugh, "questions?" he started, his attention back on his dad, "I guess we can skip the whole 'why doesn't my daddy love me?' part and get right to it? What are you doing here?"

"There are still a few things your mother and I need to sort out with the divorce" responded his dad, choosing to ignore his son's first comment.

"Ok, when are you leaving?"

"In a couple of days. Once my affairs are in order."

"That's right I forgot…we always were a chore to you." Aomine wasn't surprised. He was used to being treated like an obligation, a burden.

"Isn't it a father's duty to be concerned with the well-being of his son?"

"I wouldn't know I'm afraid. Careful dad or someone might start thinking you actually give a shit."

Akihiko sighed, "Daiki, I didn't fly all the way out here to take part in the petulant game of 'my-daddy-ruined-my-life', so could we please hold off with the catty comments and petty words for just a moment? Now, contrary to what you might think, I came here to see how you were doing."

"I'm fine" answered Aomine, curtly.

"Your mother told me you won the Winter Cup. Congratulations. And that you finally got a job. Where was it again…at a bakery…?"

Aomine could feel the judgmental condescension buried in his father's words, "a coffee shop."

"Oh yes. A coffee shop. And what about that pink haired girl you used to always hang around with…Satichi…Satsuchi?"

"Satsuki. You've known her since she was five. And she's also fine."

"That's right, Satsuki-chan. Very gifted young girl." Akihiko waited a moment before moving onto his next question, "and how is Kise-kun doing?"

Aomine instantly stiffened. Now we're getting somewhere. "He's fine" he said, unprepared and unwilling to divulge any more than that.

"Your sister told me he collapsed the other week. Someone with his…condition…should be more careful."

"Condition? He's pregnant dad, not dying."

"Well, either way, he needs to make sure he's looking after himself properly. This is my grandchild we're talking about after all."

"Stop it." Aomine'd had enough. "You can say what you want about me and pretend to give a crap about my life but I will not sit here and allow you to do the same about Kise or our baby, when we both know the truth. You don't have the right."

"I have every right. It is my grandchild."

Seething, Aomine shook his head, "you gave up any rights you had of being a grandfather when you fucked your secretary. I mean jesus dad, you've known about the baby for months and yet you haven't bothered to call once to see how things are so let's not start pretending now."

Akihiko smiled and shook his head, "always treating me like the villain. I may not have called you, but you weren't exactly rushing to chat either. Let's not forget that it wasn't you who told me Kise-kun was pregnant. I had to find that one out from your mother. And you can imagine how that conversation went." Akihiko stood up. "You know Daiki, you and I are a lot alike, whether you like it or not. And if you sincerely hope to be a better father than me then you need to start growing up. And grow up fast. Start taking some responsibility for your own life and stop blaming it on others otherwise seventeen years from now, you'll find yourself in this very position with your own son. And trust me, it isn't a very nice position to be in."

Akihiko reached into his pocket and placed a card on the table. "This is the hotel I'm staying at. I'll be leaving in a few days."

Aomine didn't say anything.

"Goodbye Daiki" and with his long black coat trailing behind him, Akihiko left the apartment.

Aomine closed his eyes, his fists clenched into balls on his knees. Unable to control his frustration any longer, the bluenette kicked the table in front of him, sending everything on top flying across the room. He then leant back into the couch, his hands covering his face.

A few seconds later, he could feel something small and warm brushing against his legs. He removed his hands and looked down. He smiled at the sight of Jet rubbing herself against him, purring all the while. He bent down to scratch behind her ears. She stared up at him, her lamp-like eyes telling him not to be angry anymore and that everything was going to ok. Jet was here now and she was going to make everything better.

"Thankyou sweetheart" Aomine smiled. Jet gave a slight meow in response and the pair enjoyed one another's company in silence.

A/N

Helloooooo friends! How are you all? Poor Aomine : ( his family is several shades of fucked up haha.

xx sHioN- Hello! Hope your trip was good! Greece is lovely! I'm glad you liked the chapter : ) And I have no idea how podcasts work I'm sorry! I hope you liked this one! : D

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Shadow of an Echo- Hello! I feel bad for Aomine too : ( hmmm, different from his mother, yes but whether that's a good thing I'm not sure yet haha. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! : D

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RH

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